Solar Energy in Dubai: Sun is our Limit

Written by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA Following immense natural resources consumption on Earth, mankind has finally set a new ambitious goal to get his energy needs through renewable resources. This idea seemed difficult several decades ago, but it has formed a framework for an integrated industrial sector driven by the needs of survival and preserving a secure future for generations to come. The sun stood out as an ideal replacement for fossil fuels resources. These two energy resources emerge in completely different directions, where the more demand for fossil fuels, the higher the price, whilst the more demand for solar energy the cheaper the cost. I believe this is will be visionary smart investment in the long run. Today, mankind has overcome the technical challenges to fulfill energy requirements through renewable energy resource. The emerging promising strategies now rely not on earth’s resources but on that of the sun. Once again, the Middle East stood out within the globe’s new energy district – The Sun. Despite the difficulty of shifting reliance from oil to solar energy, the region is still within the ‘belts’ of both oil and sun. The UAE, like it has always been, was one of the firsts to come up with initiatives thanks to the vision of its leaders. The country put huge investments in solar energy, and supported these investments with a series of fully-fledged initiatives. These efforts were crowned by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai launch of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to provide 75% of the Emirate’s energy from clean energy by 2050. Dubai and the UAE’s location within the Sunbelt increases the success chances to have significant reliance on renewable energy in the UAE. The UAE, under the directives of our government, has taken an early start to bid farewell to the last drop of oil. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) took the responsibility to contribute to this promising goal by announcing The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site strategic renewable energy project of its kind in the world, is based on the IPP model. The 13MW first phase became operational in 2013. The 200MW second phase of the Solar Park will be operational by 2017, and its capacity will reach 1,000 MW by 2020 and 5,000 MW by 2030. The project will help achieve a reduction of approximately 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually, supporting Dubai Government’s green initiatives and programmes. The Solar Park includes a Research and Development Centre to conduct studies on industrial and social needs, and scientific research in renewable energy. It also has two test technologies for photovoltaic panels and for concentrated solar power. Under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DEWA leads ambitious initiatives to increase dependability on solar power. These initiatives include Shams Dubai, to install solar panels in buildings, to produce power and connect it to DEWA’s grid. The generated electricity is used in the buildings and the surplus is exported to DEWA’s network. Dubai aims to have solar panels installed on the roofs of all buildings by 2030. Installation of solar panels on rooftops of buildings and houses through Shams Dubai is a long term investment which can take 25 years or more. It will contribute to reducing electricity bills and increasing property values, decrease the carbon footprint and protect the environment and its resources for us and for generations to come. As the renewable energy industry continues to rapidly grow, DEWA is organising the first Dubai Solar Show, which will be the largest of its kind in the region. It will highlight the latest innovations in the solar energy field through offering a unique platform to forge partnerships between public and private sectors to develop innovative solutions. It will be held in conjunction with the 18th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2016 from 4–6 October 2016 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA. Dubai Solar Show will be a key platform for the public and private sectors to make deals, build partnerships, review the latest solar-energy technologies, learn about current and future projects in the region and market needs, and explore opportunities to take part in solar-energy projects and programmes. Organising the show in conjunction with WETEX and the World Green Economy Summit is a chance to reach thousands of exhibitors, participants, officials, and decision makers in the UAE, the Arabian Gulf, and the Middle East as a whole. Participants and visitors can avail of the busy agendas of the two events which feature conferences, workshops, and specialised activities. They can also meet experts and specialists from around the world to discuss developing solar energy and expanding its adoption in the region to achieve the sustainable development and ensure a sustainable future for us and for generations to come. I invite all companies and organisations working in solar technologies to take part in the Dubai Solar Show and explore the various investment opportunities offered by this promising sector. I also invite all segments of the society to visit the exhibition to learn more about the latest solar technologies which aim to achieve our objective of shifting consumers of energy to producers, and maintaining a fine balance between development and environment to preserve the rights of the generations to come to live in a clean, healthy, and safe environment, and to maintain a sustainable future for us, and for generations to come.